Sigh Of Relief

After being on tenterhooks for a week I finally got a letter in the mail from the radiologist who read my mammogram with the diagnosis that it was normal. Well, that is nice to hear! I have normal fibrocystic breasts. Hmmm... I had no idea that I had fibrocystic breasts. I have never had symptoms until now. I wonder if perimenopause can bring on symptoms? I certainly have THAT. The freaking night hot flashes that wake me up at 2-3:00am are just a joy! If I am lucky I can get back to sleep when I cool back down. If not I am in for along sleepless night and a groggy, cranky day. You certainly do not want to be around for that! Add to that the erraticness of my periods and my winning personality and I am a definite charmer. Of course I have to put up with my husband whining like a baby when he has the slightest cold so I am sure he can put up with my bitchiness. After all, I do tend to coddle him when he is ill. Men just aren't made to handle stuff like us women are. I guess in a way I feel a sense of entitlement for taking care of him for all these years. He can take a tiny amount of heat. God knows I am FEELING the heat now. We have many more years to spend together and I know this stage will be over is a flash. I just hope it isn't a hot flash!

A Smashingly Good Time Was Had....Well Not Really

This semi tongue in cheek posting is brought to you today by the letters M, B, S, and O! Yes, I had a "mammogram" this week and had my "breasts" "smashed" and it was "owie"! I found that thing we all seek for but never want to find. The dreaded "lump". So after a few days of calling back and forth I FINALLY. I am emphasizing that word, finally got my mammogram scheduled for this past Wednesday. Took them long enough! Didn't they know the state I was in? I alternated between thinking Oh everything is alright, to sobbing disconsolately. Made me lots of fun to be around.
This is my first mammogram. I have never had one and it seems that my primary care doctor has been totally lax and should have had me in 10 years ago for a baseline mammogram and then at age 40 I should have started yearly screening mammograms. Needless to say I am in the market for a new physician. This is NOT the first medical issue she has let me down one, but hopefully it will be the last.
Now I am waiting for my results and hoping that the lump is nothing to worry about. Can you tell I really need a good stiff drink right about now?

A Baking Fit

I must have lost my mind. I spent an entire day in a baking frenzy. I made blueberry muffins, cranberry muffins, french bread, cheese bread, multigrain bread and also cooked dinner from scratch. The whole house was toasty warm and smelled of spices and bread and we tucked into such a luscious dinner. I am surprised we did not burst. Especially since we ate every single muffin that I baked and half the loaf of multigrain bread and part of the loaf of french bread! Of course I did have my granddaughter there to help me bake and eat and I do have a 16 year old nephew who can eat his weight in food, but still! We should all be comatose! I have to admit though, that nothing is like making it all yourself. I get such satisfaction from baking and cooking from scratch. I really feel connected to the food in a way that you don't get when you just open cans and packages. I like knowing exactly what is going into our bodies. It will be even more fun when I get to plant my garden and the first tender lettuces and radishes come up. Oh yum! I am so looking forward to that. Spring, you can not come too soon for me!

Cute Enough To Eat!

With all the depressing news I had to post this to put a smile on people's faces. I know it cheers me up when I see it!


I can just hear her say "Iz tastee and nutrishus!" This is our silly kitty Princess. Always curling up in small bowls or boxes. Now let's hope tomorrow is a better day!

Spiraling Downward

The way this country is going it is hard to stay optimistic. I am a very upbeat kind of girl. But the news I heard today made me very sad and pissed off too. My husband's company is laying off over 13,000 employees world wide. We knew it had to happen with the economy and all. But the way they are going about it is just shitty. Seems one employee found out he was laid off when security escorted him out the front gate. That was it. No thank you for a job well done, just a rude hustle out the gate. Another guy tried to log into his computer and wasn't able to. When he went to find out what was wrong they told him it was because he didn't work there any more. Oh well, that is nice to know! My husband says they are installing time card machines at the front gate now so you can stick your time card in and if it accepts it you still have a job, if it rejects it you don't. Oh boy! I bet that is going to be so fun! Just the way I want to start my day at work. Hmmm do I or don't I have a job. Let's see. Eeny, meeny miny, moe, I guess you have got to go!

Now I know companies have to tighten their belts and cut out the fat. But whatever happened to common courtesy and having compassion for your fellow man? You can do this in a way that is appropriate. The way this company is going about it is not right. I wonder if they realize that they may be breaking laws in the way they are going about this. Not letting people remove their own property from their desks and such. Unfortunately I forsee possible lawsuits resulting from such behavior and I know that that is the last thing that company needs right now.

I am still trying to be optimistic but I do not see things getting better any time soon. This country is in for a very tough time ahead and I hope the new president is up for the challenge. I have hope.

A Hike In The Desert

I got a chance to wear my cool new hoodie today. Of course I used a bit of blackmail to get his hoodie. Tom had shrunk an favorite sweater of mine in the wash and I kept harping on it to him, so when we were at REI on Sunday and I was gushing over this hoodie he said if I shut up about the sweater I could have it. No matter that it was $70.00 fucking dollars! You heard it. Never have I spent that much on a simple jacket, but I thought I better take the oportunity and run. Who knows when he will be this generous again! I also got a new shirt. (grin) I am not too evil am I?

So today we went on a 9 mile hike to an extinct volcano near where I live.
It was a gorgeous day in the desert. Temps in the 70's and bright sunny and clear. We took our pup Fern with us, some snacks and a sub sandwich for when we got to the top of the volcano. It was a nice hike until we got to the base. Then it was a bit of a tough climb. At the top the breeze was kind of chilly and I had to put my jacket on for a bit. Up until then I had it tied around my waist. Fern was running around like nobody's business until I got the sandwich out. Oh baby, she wanted some of that action!
Once that was finished off we sat for awhile and admired the view. Unfortunately though we had to make the return trip back. We used the bag the food had been in to pick up bottle and cans that litterbugs had tossed out to litter the desert. It felt good to clean up the environment that small bit. All too soon we were back at the truck driving back the couple miles home. I can't wait for our next hike!